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The Gunners' £50m defender has been one of the stars of the season in north London – just don't ask him if he saw the game last night!

Arsenal fans knew exactly what was coming when Ben White was asked in the aftermath of the win against Leeds whether he had paid much attention to Manchester City’s victory at Liverpool earlier in the afternoon.

“I don’t watch football,” the right-back replied stoney faced.

Immediately that quote was clipped up and plastered all over social media. ‘Never change Ben’ was the overriding message from supporters, who just can’t get enough of their right-back.

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White may not be overly appreciated by England and Gareth Southgate at present, but he is absolutely loved at Arsenal. And that is no surprise given the performances he has been putting in for Mikel Arteta’s league leaders this season.

“I’m really pleased with him,” Arteta said after the win against Leeds, which saw White score his second goal of the season in the 4-1 success.

GettyMoney well spent

When White first signed from Brighton in the summer of 2021, there were plenty of questions raised over the £50 million price tag. Those doubters have long been silenced, however.

The 25-year-old has been exceptional, whether that be at centre-back last season or at right-back during the current campaign, where he has excelled having been switched out wide by Arteta to accommodate William Saliba.

Very few central defenders could move into a full-back role and look as assured as White has done in this Arsenal side, but such is his level of ability that he has made it look easy.

“Ben has been incredible all season,” Bukayo Saka said, while discussing his team-mate. “We are building a great partnership, with Martin [Odegaard] on that right side.”

AdvertisementGettyA master of the dark arts

It’s not just his performance levels that have made White so popular at Arsenal, however – it’s the way he handles himself. Never has the term ‘sh*thousery’ applied more to a player than it does to Arteta’s right-back. 

Reminding Spurs fans of the score during the north London derbies, the tactical fouls, the little digs to the opposition keeper while waiting for a corner to come in, the sly smile he gives when he gets a reaction. It all just adds to his cult hero status in north London.

As do his post-match interviews, as we witnessed after Saturday’s win. White wasn’t joking when he said he doesn’t watch football.

"I watch myself for analytical reasons,” he explained earlier in the season. “I just wouldn't just sit down and watch a game. After I’ve trained all day and had four or five meetings about football, the last thing I want to do is watch more.”

That’s the sort of the thing that makes White stand out so much from the crowd. He’s just not the type to personality we are used to seeing in the Premier League, and Arsenal fans love him for that.

They love that he has that edge to him, that he has that ability to wind up the opposition players and their fans. 

The Saka link-up

Occasionally, White’s antics can backfire, as they did at Leicester when the VAR cameras picked up his tug on Danny Ward and so ruled out Leandro Trossard’s stunning goal. But you won’t find an Arsenal fan who would want White to change his ways because of that.

Of course, if you have that side to your game like White has, you have to be able to back it up on the pitch, and he can certainly do that.

The partnership he has struck up with Saka down that flank has been so integral to Arsenal’s success. The understanding they have, along with Odegaard, is one of the great strengths of Arteta’s side.

Although Trossard filled in excellently for Saka against Leeds, it was very evident in the first half how much White was missing having his usual partner in crime operating in front of him.

But one of White’s biggest attributes, which can be said for Trossard as well, is his level of intelligence and technical quality, and so it didn’t long for either player to adapt and make a big impact on the game.

White’s goal just after half-time was crucial, as it gave Arsenal the breathing space they needed. 

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Getty Images'He’s timing his runs very well'

Gabriel Martinelli understandably took a lot of credit for his excellent ball in, but when you look at White in the replays, he is pointing exactly where he wants it. He was clever enough to see the space and get in front of his defender to score. It was just reward for his industry and his vision. 

It was also his second crucial goal in a matter of weeks, following on from his strike against Bournemouth.

“He’s timing his runs very well and he’s a threat,” said Arteta. “Even on set-pieces, he’s improved a lot to be more dangerous and to drive more attention to the opponent. “

The reaction of his team-mates in the celebration that followed White’s goal against Leeds told its own story. You can see how popular he is within the squad by the way he was mobbed by everyone.

It was also very apparent how much joy his team-mates were all taking in giving him a series of head slaps. Oleksandr Zinchenko even kicked him up the backside.

This was clearly some payback for all the times he had done it to them during various celebrations over the course of the past few months.

Asghar Stanikzai, the Afghanistan captain, has welcomed the call from a trio of former international captains for greater opportunities to be given to Associate nations

Andrew Miller in Delhi22-Mar-20163:16

Chappell: Consider a combined Associate team for World Cup

Asghar Stanikzai, the Afghanistan captain, has welcomed the call from a trio of former international captains, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Michael Vaughan, for greater opportunities to be given to Associate nations, and has challenged cricket’s senior sides to offer his team bilateral series in which their true ability and progress could be assessed.In the wake of Afghanistan’s spirited showing against South Africa in Mumbai on Sunday, in which Mohammad Shahzad’s blistering 44 from 19 balls briefly threatened an upset, Vaughan took to Twitter to reiterate his criticism of the 10-team format that has been agreed for the next World Cup in 2019.”Such a shame we won’t see Countries like Afghanistan in the next WC.It’s refreshing and great for the game.Please change your minds @ICC,” he wrote.His sentiments were echoed by Lara and later Tendulkar, who added: “Completely agree. Spirit & performance of teams like Afghanistan & Oman echo the need for more teams at WC & beyond!”Speaking on the eve of Afghanistan’s penultimate Group 1 showdown, against England in Delhi, Stanikzai said that his players had been emboldened by the support, and stated that their ambition was to claim at least one Full Member scalp in their remaining two Super 10s fixtures.”Definitely, it’s been highly proud for us that we are hearing such tweets from cricket legends,” he said. “It is true that the team is playing good cricket, so definitely we need ICC support for the upcoming World Cup [in 2019].”In this World Cup many people thought that our games would be one-sided, but now [our opponents] are really preparing and planning, and scaring to be honest, that this is a side which can beat us.”Our guys have the potential so we need the ICC’s support,” he added. “Definitely we are eager to play in each and every World Cup, and we have requested Full Members to play a series with us. If you only play one game with a team, you cannot compare how good they are, but if you play two or three matches, you have a good chance to beat them.”

Completely agree. Spirit & performance of teams like Afghanistan & Oman echo the need for more teams at WC & beyond! https://t.co/H190gk7YdE

— sachin tendulkar (@sachin_rt) March 21, 2016

In the past six months alone, Afghanistan have proven this point handsomely with home and away series victories against Zimbabwe, in both ODIs and T20Is. They won 3-2 and 2-0 respectively in Bulawayo in October, before repeating the same scoreline in Sharjah two months later.”We have beaten them in all of them, we have won four series against a Full Member,” said Stanikzai. “So you can see how competitive we would be if we were given the chance in the upcoming World Cup.”Eoin Morgan, England’s captain, also leant his support to Afghanistan’s cause, adding that his experiences with Ireland in the early part of his international career demonstrate the importance of nurturing emerging nations.”I think it is very important for the sport to grow,” said Morgan. “Associate nations are key in evolving our sport and giving them as much opportunities as we can.”Asked whether he would welcome the prospect of playing Afghanistan in a bilateral series in the future, Morgan was cautiously positive about the prospect.”Certainly, as an England captain sitting here and captaining guys who play in all three formats of the game, I know the gruelling schedules they go through and the need for time off.”But I can see a time when we do play tri-series against different sides, not necessarily with our strongest side, but with as good a side as we can at the time and giving some guys a bit of a break. I see that coming down the line.”

After a crushing defeat at Lord’s, Trevor Bayliss must now understand the extent of the challenge facing him in his new role as England coach

George Dobell20-Jul-20154:07

Five things we learned at Lord’s

The honeymoon was beautiful, brief and spent in Cardiff. But it is over. Trevor Bayliss must now understand the extent of the challenge facing him in his new role as England coach.Seeing his batsmen dismissed for 103 on a surface on which Australia looked as if they could have batted into October, seeing his bowlers rendered impotent where Mitchell Johnson looked ferocious and watching his slip fielders catch as if they flippers rather than hands, he now knows why England have slumped to No. 6 in the Test rankings and what a task he has to drag them back towards the top.His initial reaction to defeat was to suggest the Lord’s pitch “played into the hands of Australia” and to hint that changes of selection are “on the mind”. Both of which are fairly natural responses. He will understand, too, that such fluctuations of performance are the hallmark of a young side in development. He knew there would be days like these.Trevor Bayliss on…

Team changes: “It wouldn’t be a surprise to any player in the team that, when you play badly, positions are going to be looked at and discussed. All I’ll say is two Tests ago they were selected because they were considered the best players in the country. That doesn’t necessarily change after only four innings. But it’s a concern that we are three or four for 40 and they know that.”
Adil Rashid: “When Rash turned up, he had problems with a finger. He couldn’t spin it hard. But Moeen Ali was fine. I would think we would probably take two spinners to Edgbaston. I would like to play two spinners somewhere and he is currently thought of as one of the top two spinners in the country.”
Ben Stokes’ run-out: “Stokesy was filthy. He’s only got to look at the replay and I think he’ll realise all he had to do was slide the bat and he would have been home. That’s a lesson for a young player I suppose.”

But it is, perhaps, his ability to look beyond the immediate and suggest underlying issues that might prove most valuable to England. It is his ability to hint at long-term reform that will render him so valuable.Bayliss has only been in England a few weeks. He hasn’t had the opportunity to watch county cricket and work out which players can feature in England’s future. He cannot play much of a role in selection.But he has noticed that England has a problem with pitch preparation. He has noticed that the talk of aggression, an agenda that was largely led by Shane Warne’s repetition on the subject (truly, if they turned the volume up to max on Warne’s commentary and played it to prisoners of war, the UN would ban it), has led to a generation of batsmen who react to adversity by trying to thrash their way out of it. And he knows such an approach is entertaining but has the logic of driving home quickly in fog so as to spend less time in it.”Speaking to a few of the county coaches,” Bayliss said as he reflected on defeat in the second Investec Ashes Test, “are the pitches the county players are playing on away from Tests so different to what we’re actually playing on out there?””There are always a lot of low scores in first-class cricket here. Is that preparing our batters to actually bat for a long time? Possibly not.”It is not that county pitches are inherently bad – though some certainly are – it is that they increasingly bear no comparison with international surfaces. And not just international pitches around the world, but international pitches in England.While England will struggle to disprove the myth that they asked for such surfaces to negate the pace of Mitchell Johnson and co, the truth is that the groundsmen at Test grounds are generally instructed by their employers – the counties – to prepare surfaces that last for five days. Like just about every decision in modern cricket, it is predicated on the principle: what will earn most money in the short term?So while quite a few county surfaces encourage medium-pace bowlers who nibble the ball around in helpful conditions – it remains unhelpful that bowlers such as Darren Stevens and Jesse Ryder claim so many first-class wickets in England – batsmen learn that, sooner or later, they will receive an unplayable delivery and play positively to combat it. The solution to such problems – centrally contracted groundstaff – has long been discussed but has never been implemented.

“Probably the one shot we didn’t employ against him today was the leave”Trevor Bayliss on facing Mitchell Johnson

“Ordering a flat wicket is to our detriment,” Bayliss said. “I’d like to see a typical English seaming wicket against the Australians. That would suit our bowlers. I think the flatter and slower the wicket is actually plays in to the Australians’ hands. Their big, tall fast bowlers can get good bounce and variations out of the wicket because they hit the deck hard.”Meanwhile, rules have been changed to render it more difficult for experienced players to remain in the game – counties are given incentives for fielding young, England-qualified players – and it is ever more difficult to register overseas player or Kolpak-qualified cricketers. As a result, the quality of the domestic game has been diluted and gap between it and the international game has grown.The situation will only worsen. At the end of the season, the ECB will announce a new domestic structure – it will claim it is in a consultation period, but the decision has been made – which will see the number of Championship matches reduced from 16 to 12 per side and ever-more emphasis on white-ball cricket in peak season. It will do nothing to help produce wicket-taking spinners, fast bowlers or batsmen prepared to graft for a living. The emphasis, ever more, is on limited-overs skills.Bayliss picked up on this issue when he reflected on England’s shot-selection against Johnson. “Probably the one shot we didn’t employ against him today was the leave,” he said.It’s a comment that goes to the heart of much of the recent talk that suggests that anything defensive is bad and anything aggressive is good. For what England have missed most in recent months is a pair of opening batsmen who can see off the new ball and shield the attacking middle-order from the conditions at their most difficult.Yet when they meet to pick the side for the third Test on Tuesday, it seems most likely they will select another aggressive middle-order batsman in Jonny Bairstow. He is a fine player in supreme form. But that is like installing a new fire alarm to combat a flood. He is the answer to a different question.There are other options from within the current squad. Joe Root could move back to the top three – a move that weakens a strength but may be the less of several evils – while Moeen Ali could make the same journey. It is where he bats in county cricket and ODIs, after all. The way he was dismissed by a Johnson bouncer in the second innings at Lord’s did not instil a huge amount of confidence in him facing a newer ball and fresher bowlers, though.But those are short-term solutions to a longer-term issue. When Alastair Cook complains of batsmen not facing bowling of Test pace at county level and Bayliss complains of poor pitches, they are talking of longer-term fixes. If England want to enjoy more than fleeting success, it may pay to listen to them.

Bad light forced the umpires to call off a match shortened by rain to 11 overs a side before a positive result was possible at Grace Road, ruining anticipation of a clash between two Pakistan team-mates – Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal

ECB/PA12-Jun-2015
ScorecardRain wrecked the clash between Umar Akmal (pictured) and Shahid Afridi•Getty ImagesBad light forced the umpires to call off a match shortened by rain to 11 overs a side before a positive result was possible at Grace Road, ruining anticipation of a clash between two Pakistan team-mates – Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal.Leicestershire skipper Mark Cosgrove won a delayed toss, but only 1.1 overs were possible before heavy rain caused a further hour’s delay.When play resumed, in drizzle and increasing gloom, umpires Jeff Evans and Nick Cooke decided there was sufficient time for an 11-over match.Richard Levi and Josh Cobb put together an opening partnership of 31 for the Steelbacks, but Foxes’ left-arm fast bowler Atif Sheik dismissed both with successive balls, hitting towards midwicket where Tom Wells took two excellent catches, running across the soaking outfield and sliding to hold the ball on the full.Ben Duckett picked up the pace for the Steelbacks, hitting two straight sixes in going to 39 off 23 balls, with Wells particularly expensive, conceding 28 runs from his two overs. Clint McKay, bowling a series of slower balls of varying lengths, conceded just a single from the final over.With the light worsening rapidly, Leicestershire lost a wicket to the first ball of their innings, Ned Eckersley flashing at a Rory Kleinveldt delivery and edging to Alex Wakely at first slip.Kevin O’Brien was bowled by Mohammad Azharullah, but after just 3.1 overs, the umpires decided the light was too bad to continue.

Cristiano Ronaldo pleaded with the referee not to give him a penalty despite the official pointing to the spot in Al-Nassr's clash against Persepolis.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Ronaldo went down in Persepolis boxReferee pointed to penalty spotAl-Nassr star told him to reverse decisionWHAT HAPPENED?

Ronaldo was brought down in the Persepolis box in the early stages of the AFC Champions League clash in Riyadh. Chinese referee Ma Ning quickly pointed to the spot but the Portuguese star joined the Persepolis players in protesting against the decision, wagging his finger at the official and telling him it was not a penalty. Ning then went to review the incident and decided to reverse his initial decision.

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Ronaldo and his Al-Nassr team went on to draw 0-0 with Persepolis, with the 38-year-old missing the home side's best chance – lashing narrowly wide of the target in the second half. The point saw his side progress to the round-of-16 of the AFC Champions League, with Persepolis sitting five points behind them.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

Al-Nassr have one more AFC Champions League group game to come – against Istiqlol Dushanbe on December 5. Before that, however, they will take on Al-Hilal in a top of the Saudi Pro League clash on Friday. Al-Hilal are four points ahead of Ronaldo's team heading into the tie.

Lewis Hill struck a maiden first-class hundred in just his second appearance as Leicestershire made 292 after choosing to bat first against Surrey on the opening day at the Kia Oval.

Press Association10-May-2015
ScorecardMatt Dunn took four wickets to counteract Lewis Hill’s maiden ton•Getty ImagesLewis Hill struck a maiden first-class hundred in just his second appearance as Leicestershire made 292 after choosing to bat first against Surrey on the opening day at the Kia Oval.Ominously for Leicestershire, however, Surrey closed on 105 for 2 in reply with both Kumar Sangakkara and Kevin Pietersen still at the crease on 35 not out. Earlier, Matt Dunn had spearheaded the Surrey bowling effort with 4 for 72.A purposeful 91-run stand between Hill and Ned Eckersley had initially put the visitors’ noses in front, but Surrey then pegged Leicestershire back by snapping up Eckersley for 48 and Mark Cosgrove without scoring.The afternoon session was dominated by a sixth wicket stand of 120 in 23 overs between Hill and Ben Raine until a clatter of wickets handed the initiative back to Surrey once more.Angus Robson departed for 6, having been beaten for pace by Dunn, but Eckersley dispatched Tom Curran for three fours in an over and moved to 48 by lofting Zafar Ansari back over his head twice for four.It was suddenly 104 for 3, though, when Eckersley was caught at third slip off Curran and Cosgrove, driving loosely at Dunn, was claimed behind off an inside edge.But Hill, only opening because of the absence of Matthew Boyce, who picked up a knock during practice on Saturday, reached his fifty in the last over before lunch, off 72 balls.Curran struck twice when Neil Pinner and Niall O’Brien were both caught at first slip, for 17 and 16 respectively, only for Hill, cutting and pulling ever more fiercely, to find a useful ally in Raine.Hill moved into the nineties with the second of two flat-batted sixes over midwicket off Ansari before bringing up his maiden first-class hundred, which came off 125 balls and included 14 fours and two maximums, with a quick single off Gareth Batty.Leicestershire, however, then collapsed from 275 for 5 to 292 all out. Dunn eventually ripped out Hill’s off stump with a delivery not dissimilar to the one that accounted for Robson, though not before Raine had moved to a 72-ball half-century.Clint McKay was lbw for 4, playing back to Batty, and Rob Taylor went caught behind for 3. Raine undid much of his earlier good work by edging a back foot drive through to the wicketkeeper for 57 and Chris Tremlett struck again when Jigar Naik was caught low down at second slip.Ansari and Rory Burns both made 15 before falling to Raine – Ansari, pushing forward, going caught behind and Burns chopping on.Pietersen announced himself with a glorious cover drive for four and signed off for the day with a straight six off Naik, while Sangakkara went down on one knee to punch Charlie Shreck through extra cover twice in as many overs.Leicestershire’s batting hero Hill said: “My heart rate was going quite fast in the nineties, but Ben Raine did a great job calming me down. The idea was to be positive and pounce on anything loose. I was disappointed to get out when I did. I probably lost my concentration a little bit.'”Surrey fast bowler Matt Dunn heaped praise on Hill but was not disappointed with how his side did either: “As a bowling unit we applied pressure throughout. They had a really good partnership in the middle, which set us back a bit. Lewis Hill played really well, but I think we kept them to what we think is a below par score.”

The pressure ramped up on Mikel Arteta's first-choice 'keeper as he made a pair of terrible mistakes at Kenilworth Road

Declan Rice scored a dramatic 97th-minute winner to spare David Raya's blushes and send Arsenal five points clear at the top of the Premier League following a thrilling 4-3 win at Luton on Tuesday night.

Two awful second-half errors from Raya looked to have seen his side drop two crucial points in the title race at Kenilworth Road, only for Rice to pop up deep into stoppage time to plant a header past Thomas Kaminski and spark wild celebrations in the away end.

It was an incredible end to a crazy game which swung back and forth all evening. Gabriel Martinelli had given Arsenal the lead, but Gabriel Osho levelled soon after with a free header from a corner, only for Gabriel Jesus to make it 2-1 seconds before the break.

At that point the Gunners appeared well placed to go on and secure a comfortable win, but Raya flapped at a corner early in the second half to allow Elijah Adebayo to equalise before letting a Ross Barkley shot squirm under his body soon after.

It was another awful moment for the Arsenal keeper, one that will see Mikel Arteta come in for even more questions about his decision to replace Aaron Ramsdale with the on-loan Brentford stopper.

But Havertz levelled soon after before Rice sealed all three points with seconds remaining to secure a remarkable victory.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Kenilworth Road…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

David Raya (3/10):

Couldn't do anything with Osho's well placed header, but was beaten far too easily by Adebayo for the second goal and then let Barkley's shot squirm under his body. Really poor and two more errors that will do little to silence his doubters.

Ben White (7/10):

Put under pressure early in the first half, but responded well and was a threat down the right. Excellent cross to set up Jesus.

William Saliba (7/10):

Never really looked troubled. Cruised through the game as he always does.

Gabriel Magalhaes (7/10):

Took a couple of big challenges early on which angered him, but soon calmed down to form his usual commanding partnership with Saliba.

Jakub Kiwior (6/10):

Didn't look entirely comfortable operating in the left-back role. Luton looked to press him quickly and he struggled at times in possession.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Declan Rice (8/10):

Another strong performance. Looked to be the one calm head at times amid all the madness. Popped up with the crucial winner right at the death.

Kai Havertz (8/10):

Another goal for Arsenal's summer signing from Chelsea. After a slow start he is really starting to find his feet. Competed well all evening and showed some nice touches. Impressive.

Martin Odegaard (7/10):

Really grew into the first half after a quiet start and linked up well with White and Saka. Wasn't as influential after half-time, but popped up with the cross right at the end for Rice to head home.

Getty ImagesAttack

Bukayo Saka (8/10):

Lovely assist for Martinelli's goal and then produced a sublime pass for White in the build-up to Jesus' second. Another game when he makes a difference for Arsenal.

Gabriel Jesus (8/10):

You could see he was getting rattled by some of the tackles that were coming his way. He kept his head though and scored Arsenal's second having also play a key role in Martinelli's opener. Great play to set up Havertz for the third as well.

Gabriel Martinelli (7/10):

Took a big hit early on and never really looked comfortable after that. Was still alert enough to open the scoring though in the first half. Replaced by Trossard early in the second.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Leandro Trossard (6/10):

Looked bright when he came on and helped Arsenal dominate the closing stages, but couldn't find a way through.

Oleksandr Zinchenko (7/10):

Almost set up a goal for Havertz late on and then played a key role in Rice's dramatic winner.

Mikel Arteta (6/10):

His subs worked well, but he will have to face yet more questions about his decision to bring in Raya over Aaron Ramsdale.

GOAL reviews how stars from the continent performed in the Premier League, Serie A, Ligue 1, and in Scotland with their respective clubs

Rangers.Review of Africans in Europe

Different African stars were in action across the weekend in different leagues and some, unfortunately, found themselves writing unwanted history.

AdvertisementNapoli.Too Good: Victor Osimhen

The 23-year-old Super Eagle was among the goals as Napoli recovered from their previous 3-2 defeat against Empoli to hammer Sassuolo 6-1 in a Serie A fixture at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Saturday.

Senegal international Kalidou Koulibaly put the Partenopei ahead before Osimhen grabbed the second and assisted in the entertaining fixture which also saw Hirving Lozano, Dries Mertens (2) and Amir Rrahmani inscribe their names on the scoresheet.

The attacker is currently ranked joint seventh in the Serie A goalscoring charts with a tally of 13 goals this campaign, as well as being the team’s top league scorer.

GettyToo Bad: Edouard Mendy

The 30-year-old Senegal international conceded yet again courtesy of a clinical finish from Richarlison as Chelsea suffered a 1-0 defeat against Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.

Going into the fixture, Mendy had also failed to keep a clean sheet for the Blues as they battled to a 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford last Thursday.

So far in this campaign, the Lion of Teranga has kept 13 clean sheets, which is tied for the third-most in the competition. In last season's Premier League, he played in 31 games for Chelsea and kept a clean sheet in 16 of those fixtures.

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Rangers.Too Good: Fashion Sakala

The Zambia international was on target as Rangers snatched a 1-1 draw against Celtic in the Old Firm derby at Celtic Park on Sunday.

After the Bhoys took a deserved lead courtesy of Jota, the 25-year-old Chipolopolo star popped up with a goal for the Gers in the 67th minute, beating goalkeeper Joe Hart with a powerful left-footed effort.

Sakala, who joined Rangers from KV Oostende, has managed eight goals in the Scottish Premiership from 28 appearances and he will hope to add to his tally when Rangers host Dundee United at Ibrox Stadium on Sunday.

Steven Smith tormented India with a century in every Test of the summer, and like the ghost of series past, returned to haunt them with another hundred in this World Cup semi-final

The Report by Brydon Coverdale26-Mar-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsGetty ImagesFour months ago, India arrived in Australia as holders of both the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the World Cup. Then they ran into Steven Smith, who ensured they will fly home with neither. Smith tormented India with a century in every Test of the summer, and like the ghost of series past, returned to haunt them with another hundred in this World Cup semi-final. The summer of Steve just keeps rolling on.It will end at the MCG on Sunday in either World Cup triumph over New Zealand, or heartbreak at losing the trophy to the co-hosts of this six-week event. Of course Smith was not alone in delivering Australia their seventh win from seven World Cup semi-finals – Aaron Finch gave batting support, Mitchell Johnson provided invaluable late runs and key wickets – but Smith was at the heart of it.His 105 was a class above most of the batting in this game, and set Australia on the path to a match-winning 328 for 7. In the field, he claimed wickets with his eyes and ears. Smith appeared to instigate a five-star review when there was virtually no appeal for a caught-behind off Mitchell Starc’s bowling; snicko found the ball had kissed Ajinkya Rahane’s edge on the way to Brad Haddin.Rahane was on 44 at the time and had put together a 70-run stand with MS Dhoni that had Australia a fraction nervous. Dhoni’s calmness at the crease will always worry his opponents, but losing Rahane and then Ravindra Jadeja – Smith’s throw from backward point found Jadeja short of his crease – placed enormous pressure on Dhoni.The required run-rate began to look like an accelerated adolescence, every over representing a year: it’s 11, now it’s 12, now it’s 13, now it’s 14, now it’s 15. Dhoni thumped a couple of consecutive sixes off Shane Watson but he could do only so much, and fell for a run-a-ball 65 when he was the victim of a direct hit from Glenn Maxwell.The end came quickly. James Faulkner bowled R Ashwin and Mohit Sharma from consecutive balls, and Starc rattled Umesh Yadav’s stumps in the next over to secure the 95-run win and a place in the final. The result was a relief for Australia.India needed the highest successful chase of this tournament, but possess some of the finest chasers in world cricket. And a sea of blue around the SCG created the impression this was a home match for India. A 76-run opening stand between Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma betrayed no nerves from them. But Dhawan picked out deep extra cover off Josh Hazlewood for 45 and then came a key moment: Virat Kohli top-edged a hook off Johnson to be caught by Haddin for 1.The loss of Rohit, bowled by Johnson for 34, and then Suresh Raina, who edged behind off Faulkner for 7, boosted Australia, but Dhoni’s presence was always a threat. He just had nobody to go with him for the big partnership required, the kind Australia had. The 182 that Smith and Finch added for the second wicket in Australia’s innings was the key stand of the game.No other Australia partnership reached fifty, or lasted five overs. India’s bowlers fought well in the later stages to keep Australia to 328 for 7, a challenging target but a gettable one, considering high 300s were plausible while Smith and Finch were there with 197 for 1 after 34 overs.Shami found early swing and Yadav neared 150kph, but only one wicket fell early. Then came that partnership in which Smith batted like a man who had never been out, Finch like a man who had never been in. Australia’s top order has looked much sturdier since Smith moved up to No.3 and so it did again. In only one match in any format against India this summer has Smith failed to score a hundred.His footwork was the equal of any great boxer; he used his crease to manufacture the length he required, including going back off Jadeja to pull one of his two sixes. Smith’s precise pulling was a feature of his innings. Of his 105 runs, 77 came through the leg side as he found the gaps without much trouble. His fifth hundred of the summer against India came from 89 balls with a pull for four off Shami.Smith was eventually out hooking to deep square leg off Yadav for 105 from 93 balls; India’s bouncer finally worked when they got it head high. Between them, Smith and Finch had generally been able to keep the runs ticking over even in periods where the boundaries did not flow so freely, although the spin of Jadeja and Ashwin proved harder to get away.Finch’s 81 was valuable to Australia but it was far from his best-looking innings. His tournament began with a hundred against England but since then he has been scratchy, and was again here. Whereas Smith finessed, Finch forced.Australia hoped Finch would launch from the platform over which he had laboured; instead he was another victim of Yadav’s quick short ball when he pulled to midwicket. The dismissal of Maxwell was key in halting Australia’s push, and was a fitting reward for Ashwin, whose canniness kept Australia to 42 runs off his 10 overs. Maxwell’s departure came in a period of chaos in which India claimed 4 for 51 from 49 legal deliveries.Yadav and Mohit especially led India’s fightback with regular wickets: Clarke made 10, Faulkner 21 and Watson 28, but they all fell to the fast men. Johnson crunched a late 27 not out off 9 balls to add to the daunting nature of the chase.And as the cricket cliché goes, in big games it was all about runs on the board.

A stunning 43-ball 90 from Suresh Raina was the cornerstone of Chennai Super Kings’ 54-run win over Dolphins in Bangalore

The Report by Rachna Shetty22-Sep-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSuresh Raina’s 31st T20 fifty battered the Dolphins bowling•BCCIA stunning 43-ball 90 from Suresh Raina was the cornerstone of Chennai Super Kings’ 54-run win over Dolphins in Bangalore but the contest, at least for the early part of the Dolphins chase, was far more closely matched than the eventual victory margin suggested.Dolphins captain Morne van Wyk had opted to bowl and said his decision had been influenced by the reputation the Chinnaswamy Stadium had for aiding sides batting second. For 20 overs of Super Kings’ innings, however, van Wyk could only watch from behind the stumps as Raina, Brendon McCullum, Faf du Plessis and Ravindra Jadeja plundered runs at will, powering Super Kings to 242 for 6.The Dolphins response was equally explosive at the start. Van Wyk and Cameron Delport raised the side’s 50 in 15 balls. By the end of the Powerplay, Dolphins had raced to 85 for 2, bettering the CLT20 record set by Super Kings earlier in the day. As is typical in big chases, the breakthroughs came when the Dolphins batsmen kept playing for the big shots, but they were also left to rue a poor decision from umpire K Srinath, who adjudged Van Wyk lbw when a ball from R Ashwin had pitched several inches outside leg stump. The dismissal came in an over where the Dolphins captain had smacked two fours and a six off the bowler.After van Wyk was dismissed, Dolphins’ hopes rested on Delport who swung and swiped his way to a nine-ball 34. All but two of the deliveries he faced had raced to the boundary and his bustling innings had threatened to play out the same way as Andre Russell’s a few days ago before Mohit Sharma ended it with a slower ball.After Delport was out, the pressure of keeping pace with a spiraling asking rate was squarely on Cody Chetty. He tried with a gamely 37 off 28 balls but his dismissal gave Super Kings an opening to stifle the scoring rate for a couple of overs and the bowlers responded. The target left Dolphins with no room for quiet overs and when those did come, especially during Bravo’s tight spell filled with variations of slower balls, whatever little hope they had left slipped away quickly.In sharp contrast, unburdened by a target hanging over them, the Super Kings innings motored along at top speed. MS Dhoni had some concerns at the toss about how the track would behave due to the presence of a few patches but there was little to worry about for Super Kings once they began. After Dwayne Smith fell early to the left-arm spin of Keshav Maharaj, Raina and McCullum set about dismantling the Dolphins attack, matching each other almost stroke for stroke during a relentless 91-run stand that came off 45 balls.The Dolphin pacers, including Kyle Abbott, had few answers to the fearsome shots McCullum unleashed either side of the wicket, harking back in some ways to the whirlwind century he played during the first game of the Indian Premier League.The pair led Super Kings to the second-best Powerplay score of the season, smashing 70 in the first six overs. Raina got off the mark with a four and after that, kept carving out sixes effortlessly. The scoring rate barely suffered a hiccup when McCullum was out for 49 – caught at deep midwicket off a mis-timed shot – as Raina took over the lead role. He marched to a fifty off 27 balls and in a third-wicket partnership of 65 with du Plessis, contributed 53 runs.The gaps between the landmarks showed how effectively Super Kings had negated the Dolphins attack as the side progressed to 50 to 100 and 150 in 25, 28 and 26 balls, respectively. Sixty-four of Raina’s 90 runs came in boundaries and by the time his top edge settled in Delport’s hands at point, Raina had become the first Indian batsman to move past 5000 runs in T20s and was one short of 200 sixes in the format.Dolphins’ relief over quick wickets at the end was also short-lived as Jadeja smashed 40 off 14 balls to produce a big flourish. Abbott came back and bowled a couple of quiet overs but by then the total had swelled to 242, equalling the tournament record set by Otago Volts last season.